Brian Looney: 'As long as I am able, I get such enjoyment from it'

ELEVENTH FINAL: Brian Looney is facing into his 11th final. Picture: Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD .

There was a fairly remarkable stat doing the rounds on Lewis Road a few weeks back. The stat pertained to Brian Looney. The stat was that Looney had never missed a club or county championship fixture for Dr Crokes since making his debut all the way back in 2006.

The stat was doing the rounds because injury forced Looney to sit out Crokes’ three group games in the club championship. An 18-year-run of uninterrupted championship service finally interrupted. How very rude of his hamstring not to cooperate and continue such longevity.

Looney was back on the field for the club championship semi-final and back in the team for the club championship final win. Normal service restored.

Sunday is county final No.11. The roll call to date is: 2006, '09, '10, '11, '12, '13, '16, '17, '18, and '19. Started all previous 10, won seven.

At 37, there is absolutely no indication that Sunday’s 11th is his swansong.

“I have always had the view for the last couple of years that my body will tell me when it is time, and maybe when the enjoyment factor is gone from it as well because it is just that bit harder as you get older,” Looney begins.

“But to date, I have been fortunate that the body has held up, which I think is a big contributor to being able to play that bit longer. As long as I am able, I do get such enjoyment from it.

“You also realise when you are getting to the last couple of years that once it is gone, it is gone, so you try and make the most of it while you can. It is hard not to enjoy it when you are going well, you start to ride a bit of momentum, and the buzz that comes with getting to the latter stages of the championship.” 

For a while there, it appeared Looney would never get to county final No.11. Crokes had slipped on the standards they prided themselves on throughout an utterly dominant previous decade.

They had slipped from beaten county finalists to beaten semi-finalists to beaten quarter-finalists to eliminated at the first group-phase fence. An unthinkable fall.

What disappointed the 37-year-old half-back as much as their results was the unacceptable levels they were operating at. Even their belief wasn’t where it should have been. This wasn’t Crokes.

“We would have always felt we were of a certain standard and probably didn't live up to those standards in recent years for whatever reason.

“You couple that with the fact that the championship had a different look the last few years, certain divisional sides getting a lot stronger. The overall competition has gone up from a standard perspective.

“So, a little bit of frustration, a little bit of disappointment, but a little bit of reality as well to be able to check ourselves and say we are not quite at it at the moment and how do we rebuild toward getting back there.” 

The faith was never lost. Not for Looney. Never. When you’ve seen all he’s seen in black and amber, the Crokes cause is never fruitless.

“The last few couple of years have felt a bit further away, but one of the reasons I am still playing is I firmly believe that there were good things within the group. That we were building toward something, and just getting the balance right, which we seem to have got this year, notwithstanding the work that has been done the last few years in building part of this team as well.” 

Ten previous finals do not lend itself to a sense of nonchalance on weeks or weekends such as this. It’s the complete opposite. If Looney discovered any hint of nonchalance, he’d be asking concerned questions of himself.

“It is five years since we played in one. Already there is a little buzz in the stomach. It is a mix of nerves and excitement. If I didn't have that, I'd probably be a little more worried.

“What you do get from being around a number of years, you learn to embrace when you get those few nerves and excitement rather than let it overwhelm you going into a game which you might have done in earlier years where you overthought things.” 

Irrespective of the outcome, the long-serving Crokes clubman isn't shy in stating that it is a lift for the Kerry championship to have an all-club final. It’s the first such pairing since the all-Tralee decider of 2021.

“You do get noise around the place at the start of the year saying, East Kerry won't be touched, Mid Kerry and obviously Brendan's were very strong this year. It is great to have divisions, and strong divisions, they increase the competitive nature of it, but being a clubman, and I am sure Dingle think the same, it is great to have two club teams in the final.” 

Normal service restored there too.